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FROM THE PUBLISHER.

WHILE DUE CARE IS TAKEN TO
ENSURE THAT THE CONTENT OF

SEPTEMBER 1997

!

' PORTMAN PUBLISHING &
COMMUNICATIONS LTD 1997

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 3

news

Callaway wins
legal battles
by David Bowers

C

allaway Golf Company has
emerged victorious from litigation against companies selling
counterfeit and other illegal copies of
the company’s clubs in Sweden and
the US.
Stockholm City Court has issued an
order preventing Swedish sports retailer Sportz & Golf, from advertising or
selling illegal counterfeits and knockoffs of Callaway Golf’s patented and
trademarked Big Bertha line of golf
clubs.
The win followed on the heels of a
similar victory in the US courts against
a Florida-based mail-order company,
Professional Edge Golf.
An order was issued in July finding
Professional Edge violated an injunction entered late last year by offering
for sale, and selling, clubheads which
had a soleplate confusingly similar to
the patented and trademarked War
Bird soleplate used on Callaway’s Big
Bertha, War Bird, Great Big Bertha
Metal Woods and its Biggest Bertha
Drivers.
Callaway has also announced it has
settled a dispute with Eden Safari Golf,
a Taiwanese golf equipment wholesaler. In addition to compensating the
American company $10,000, the settlement requires Eden Safari to publicly
apologise to Callaway in an advertisement and agree never again to infringe
its intellectual property rights.
“We hope we are sending a clear
message to knock-off manufacturers
and to those people who think they can
make a quick buck or a fast krona,” said
Donald H. Dye (below), president and
chief executive officer of Callaway Golf.
“Golfers expect that when they buy
distinctive Callaway Golf products,
they are getting Callaway Golf quality
and not a cheap imitation. Efforts like this
help ensure that is the
case. We hope that
we are sending a clear
message to counterfeiters that there
is no profit in
trying to copy
Callaway Golf
products.” he
concluded.

The future of golf begins here

Autumn sees the publication of the
most wide-ranging survey ever to be
produced on the future of the sport of
golf.
The good news is that it is likely to
predict a successful decade ahead - the
down side is that the survey will
pinpoint specific problems which
experts believe will need to be
addressed if the future of the sport is
to be secured.
Golf Futures, a report from the
Henley Centre - one of the world’s
foremost economic forecasting organisations - is being produced in association with EMAP Pursuit, publishers of
a number of golf magazines.
The groundbreaking study will be
essential reading for everyone in the
golf industry and is unique in that it
looks forward to the millenium rather
than back in time as many of its
predecessors have done.
A spokesman for the Henley
Centre confirmed: “It is quite simply
the widest ranging report on golf ever
produced. We haven’t just looked at
golf, we’ve looked at the way the
industry will react within the wider
economy.

“We have looked at how changes
in income and employment will affect
the golf market. If there is a hike in
interest rates how this will affect the
younger end of the market and again
we’ve looked at how a rise in interest
rates would affect the seniors end of
the market.”
The survey is likely to contain
many dramatic conclusions and it may
even ruffle a few feathers - but it will
help administrators and managers plan
and structure their business in line with
the changing face of golf over the next
ten years.
It includes a new survey of golfers,
of non-golfers and of companies within the golf industry.
Golf Futures predicts how participation will segment between men and
women and between juniors and
seniors.
The wide-ranging survey also indicates what the total of the golf market
is envisaged to be and how it will
divide between sectors such as equipment, clothing, course development,
tuition and corporate golf.
Golf Futures is published on
October 1.

Purpose-built ultrasonic
club cleaner SonicShot
has been endorsed by
the David Leadbetter
Golf Academy.
The unit enables golfers
to clean a complete set
of clubs - heads and
grips - in around two
minutes. SonicShot can
be provided by clubs as
a free service or as an
income-producer.

PGA National golf week was a success

T

he first PGA National Golf Week staged earlier this year, has been hailed as
a success by the organisers. Some clubs, however, have expressed disappointment with the support the project received in the national media.
Such criticisms were swiftly refuted by the PGA commercial director Mike
Grey who pointed out the event had been featured on Sky, BBC and ITV.
He said: “We don’t claim to have got it all right and we will look at the way it
went and make any changes needed but our feedback is that it has been a great
success.”

4 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

EUROGOLF

97 - THE SHOW GOES ON

The National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, hosts EuroGolf - the largest trade
exhibition in Europe - from October 8 - 10, but not everyone will be there.
Mizuno has pulled out claiming the exhibition “no longer suits what the company
is trying to achieve.” The Japanese giants may have pulled out, but around 300
companies remain.

New Parkland Course for Carnegie Club

A

n innovative course design by
Donald Steel allows a new
nine-hole course at Skibo
Castle, in Scotland, to be played either
as a par-three or as a challenging par35 course.
The Parkland Course will be ready
for play in the summer of 1998, and
the chairman and founder of Skibo
Castle’s Carnegie Club Peter de
Savary, officially broke the ground for
the new course back in May.
The ceremony also included the
planting of a tree by member Murray
Koffler (right) - one of the founders of
the international Four Seasons hotel
chain - and his wife Marvelle.
De Savary said: “With its innovative layout, Skibo’s unique Parkland
course will provide the ideal complement to our legendary championship
Carnegie Links - arguably the most
challenging course in Scotland.”
Emma Brook, pro for the Carnegie
Club added: “We thought it would be
useful to have a shorter course for
members who did not fancy a complete 18 holes.

Badgemore Park
sold
William Hillary Leisure & Hotels
has sold Badgemore Park to Premier
Golf Developments Ltd.
Situated in Henley-on-Thames, the
club, which was founded in 1972,
exchanged hands for just under the
£2.5 million asking price.

“There are days when the Carnegie
Course is a little too much for some
players - even the very best - and the
new Parkland nine has been designed
for a little light relief.”
The 18-hole Carnegie Links, constructed in 1995 was voted the best
new course in Britain by Golf World,
and both projects have been managed
by Pierson Project Management Ltd.
The course can be played either as
a 1,545 yard par-three, or a sporty
mixture of par threes, fours and fives.
The Carnegie Club and Pierson are
working in tandem again in Leicestershire where they are constructing a
new golf academy at Stapleford Park,
near Melton Mowbray.

ormer Today newspaper proprietor Eddie Shah has increased
his golf course ownership by
acquiring Norfolk club Reymerston
for £900,000 from the club’s official
receivers.
Situated near Norwich, Reymerston was only opened in 1993 and
boasts a 6,603 yard 18-hole course,
together with a 9-hole pitch and putt.
Shah’s company, Messenger
Leisure Ltd also owns the Essex
G&CC in Colchester and the Suffolk
G&CC in Bury St Edmunds.

Richard Campey
R.J. & J. CAMPEY are based
at Marton, near
Macclesfield and are able
to carry out golf course
maintenance using the latest machinery.
We run a fleet of Vertidrains, Charterhouse
Overseeders which bury the seed below the
surface, and Bredall and
Ultra Plant Sand Spreaders.
We are also able to supply
new and reconditioned
grasscutting and turf
maintenance machinery.
For further details contact:
Richard Campey
Tel: +44 (0)1260 224568 Fax: +44 (0)1260 224791
Marton, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9HG

warm welcome to Golf Management
Europe, the first truly independent business
magazine specifically targeted to cater for the
increasing demands faced by the panEuropean golfing industry.
Launched amid interesting and challenging times
within the golf fraternity, Golf Management Europe
will offer a new dimension never attained within the
plethora of existing golf trade journals.
As specialists in sports publishing, and founder
publishers of Football Management - the UK’s leading
business journal for the football industry - we believe
that we have the knowledge and expertise necessary to
adapt our marketing and commercial know-how to the
ever demanding golf sector.
We are under no illusion as to the magnitude of the
task ahead, but feel that given time, we can become an
integral and beneficial part of the commercial revolution that the game is currently experiencing.
Sport is business - big business at that, - and golf is
no less affected by this statement than any other mainstream sport.
As with the majority of most sports within our
continent, golf needs to advance and evolve in-keeping
with the public’s needs and aspirations, and we hope
that Golf Management Europe will help in this ongoing development.
Concentrating on all aspects of golf administration,
Golf Management Europe will offer a balanced and
in-depth look at news and business aspects pertinent to
golf club management.
Over the past 18 months, we have worked closely
with numerous members of the commercial sector and
indeed golf clubs throughout Europe to ascertain your
needs and requirements. We feel confident that we
have achieved our initial objective.
In conclusion, we would like to thank everyone who
has worked so strenuously to help produce this inaugural edition of Golf Management Europe.
Without your co-operation, now or in the future,
this magazine would not be
possible.

ust what does the long term
future hold for Britain’s club
professionals?
A strictly limited role, if the thinking at one club in the South East of
England becomes a widely accepted
guideline.
Members of the committee, which
must at this stage remain unnamed
for legal reasons, circulated a private
and confidential letter to all at the
club giving details of a fundamental
review of the position of the professional.
The proposition was, in short, to
dispense with his services as from
January, 1998 and the club would
take over the running of the shop for
a trial period.
As the letter was displayed on the
club notice board the contents hardly
remained confidential and it was no
surprise when the professional
contacted the PGA with a view to
checking his position and taking legal
advice.
The letter also contained a
message of considerable importance
for all club professionals...

“

it was resolved

to tell members that
the club intended
to dispense with
the services of a
professional
altogether

Ian Woosnam at American Golf Discount - will these discount stores finally put the club shop out of business?

This has not been agreed, and any
such decision will only be taken after
full consultation with the members.
But before such a sounding could
be taken, a second letter was posted
in the clubhouse following protests
from members at what they saw as a
high handed decision.
And again I quote from the
letter...
“it is fair to say that there has been
a negative reaction to the notice
from a number of members. It
seemed to them that a major policy
decision had been taken without any
consultation, and that the committee
had apparently acted in an unreasonable and heartless way.
“Because of this reaction, the
committee have decided that
members must now be given the full
facts leading to the decision to post
the original notice.”
However, there is no explanation
for considering a radical policy
change of dispensing with the services
of a professional.
The private club in question,
which has at least 700 members, is
perfectly entitled to run its affairs
without let or hinderance.
And it is only since the arrival of
American Golf Discount in the area
that the committee has started to look
at the role of the club professional.

8 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

They concluded that a large
number of members were buying at
Europe’s top golf retailer and not
patronising the club pro. And not
only was golf equipment involved;
clothing was cheaper at M&S which
is not far from American Golf
Discount.
The rapid growth of cut-price
stores and High Street outlets is now
squeezing the club professional
mighty hard, but this is the first case
coming to our attention of a club,
and not the pro concerned, embarking on such a drastic course of action.
Powerful businesses like American
Golf Discount and Nevada Bob’s the
largest chain of discount golf stores in
the world, are agreed that the market
is big enough for both of them.
And neither organisation has any
wish to see the club professional
disappear from his traditional shop.
But they both feel that his place in
the future should be on the teaching
range.
Michael Green, marketing director
of American Golf Discount, acknowledged that the club pro has been
placed in a difficult position by the
proliferation of companies such as his
with enormous buying power.
“It is hard for the pro as he has to
be a combination of all things; retailer,
teacher and marketing man.

Case
Case Study
Study

THE CLUB PROFESSIONAL

“We see our role to provide a full
range of products to all levels of
golfers at competitive prices. The
club pro cannot match the range of
products we can offer and that is a
fact.”
American Golf Discount has 30
outlets in the UK after starting 15
years ago in Warrington. According
to Green there will be 60 stores with
a predicted turnover of £50 million
in the next two years.
“We are trying to maximise our
market share and are by no means
complacent. We want to make sure
every golfer is really spoilt.
“We are not fighting the club pro.
On the contrary, we feel competition
is good for him as it is for us. We all
have to work together to build the
game of golf.
“I can understand the pressure on
the club pro, but if there are more
young people coming into golf, then
surely he will benefit. Young people
are taking up the game in
droves and ladies as well.
“We are trying to
make the game more
accessible to everyone and
want people to go to their
pro and receive coaching.
It is in that area that the
club pro can really come
into his own,” said Green.
And he added: “Now
we have the Tiger Factor
and Justin Leonard
winning the Open - that’s
what was needed. With
golf enjoying such a
tremendous impetus, the club pro
should be busy every minute with
coaching and looking to be more proactive in winter.
“We are passionate about the
game. Last year we supported the
BBC Big Bash at the NEC and there
were 10,000 kids on the stands with
PGA professionals.”
It may come as a surprise that
American Golf Discount has nothing
to do with the United States. A local
pro, Robert Bilton, started the firm
with his brother Howard in
Warrington and it has never looked
back.
“They recognised the market was
moving in a new direction so they
started up the business and brought
in people like Tony Norton, ex-IBM,
to be managing director, and another
experienced business man, Alister

Cook, who is in charge of finance,
and myself as sales director.”
Michael Green, 31, ex-Wilson
Sporting Goods UK managing director, has worked for other blue chip
retailers including Marks and Spencer
and Haagen-Dazs. Phil Smith, franchise director of Nevada Bob’s, said
his company and American Discount,
“survive very nicely.”
He thought small High Street golf
shops are having as tough a time as
the club professionals and agreed
with Michael Green that there had
been a tremendous upsurge in
Michael Green,
business since Tiger Woods
American Golf Discount
burst upon the scene.
Nevada Bob’s has 350
outlets throughout the world
with 24 in the UK and is a
wholly American owned
company that started in 1974.
It was Bob Elton, an ordinary American club pro who
saw the way the future was

“

I wouldn’t say

the club pro lives
in fear of the

”

discount store

Nevada Bob’s have a
full time UK staff of
200, some of whom
are golf professionals
and American Golf
Discount also employ
pros in their store
nets.
Ever since the professionals were confronted with massive
commercial competition their slogan has
been, “Those who know
buy from their pro.”
There are nearly 6,000
members of the PGA, and
Mike Gray, commercial
director at The Belfry,
flew the flag with a flourish.
“The golf pro is a service
industry, and to be a pro is
to be a member of a profession, entrance to which
means a three years miniStaff at American Golf Discount
mum training programme.
“We have just completed an 18
going and quit his job and moved
into retailing. Now there are seven months training and education
outlets in continental Europe and programme addressed to the chaleverywhere the electronic tills are lenge of the commercial market and
dealing specifically in retailing and
buzzing.
“Business is unbelievable,” said merchandising.
“In the retail world, competition
Phil Smith. “Our performances are
very strong. We began this year with is always there and our members can
21 stores and will probably finish in be competitive given the chance. Just
the UK with an excess of 35. We because a member doesn’t have the
could even get to 40. We have a UK luxury of space doesn’t mean he
target of 60-plus in the next three cannot sell at a price which you might
find in the High Street.
years.
“I wouldn’t say the club pro lives
“Our advantage over the club pro
is size of unit and the ability to offer a in fear of the discount store. After all,
much bigger product range plus, of he can offer teaching and advice
course, a second to none buying which is second to none and that is
just part of his daily round.”
power.
“The club pro wasn’t brought into
the world to be a retailer. His job
involves so many other things, but
our full time job is to sell golf.”
SEPTEMBER 1997

!

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 9

news

Golf Courts
revolution

F

our holes, but 18 tees. That is the
secret of the Golf Court, a
concept that is gaining in popularity and which many believe may be
the future of golf.
Almost ten years ago systems
designer Farel Bradbury suffered a
stroke which left him temporarily
disabled and golf was recommended as
a means of restoring the use of his
right arm. He became hooked and
using his professional skills he
designed a four-green, eight-tee,
3,000-yard par-60 Golf Court on just
six acres of land.
He now calculates that a 6,500yard, par-72 Golf Court can be created on just 15 acres.
Each Golf Court can accommodate
three simultaneous matches of two,
three or four balls. This means that
golf can now be played in areas where
previously it was not feasible - on plots
of land from six to 15 acres.
Each hole is different and varies in
perspective and length, and like a
tennis court, play is booked by the
hour. The golfer has the flexibility of
playing six holes in one hour, 12 in
two hours, or a full 18 in three hours.
It is also claimed that because of
the course’s compact nature it is practical and economically viable to floodlight the court, allowing 24-hour play.
The court would seem to be ideal
for areas where land is at a premium,
and not surprisingly interest from the
Asia and the Middle East - the design
uses just five per cent of normal watering needs - is intense.
Hotel chains have also expressed
interest and the concept is also feasible for private homes, and even
schools.
One person who has
had a Golf Court built
in her garden is Laura
Davies. She said: “A
Golf Court allows you
to squeeze in a
round of golf in
an hour, instead
of the four or
five hours it
normally takes
for a full round.
That’s a big
plus for busy
people.”

BONALLACK RECEIVES LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD
The secretary of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, Michael Bonallack, was
awarded the Arnold Palmer Lifetime Service Award in Philadelphia in June.
Bonallack was an outstanding amateur golfer, winning the Amateur
Championship five times, and was awarded the OBE for his services to the sport
in 1971, 12 years before he became secretary of the R&A.
The award was instigated at the centenary of the Golf Association of
Philadelphia in November, when Arnold Palmer, the guest of honour at the celebrations, agreed to allow his name to be put to a new award for people who had
made a substantial contribution over many years to the amateur game.
Former R&A captain Bill Campbell was the first recipient, and Bonallack and
Judy Bell, president of the USPGA received their awards at a ceremony at
Merion GC, Philadelphia, earlier this year.
Palmer was not present at the ceremony but contacted the association to say
that he could not think of two more worthy recipients.

Explosive action at Redlibbets

A

fter six years of planning and
development, Redlibbets GC
opened recently with an exhibition match hosted by associate tour
professional, Jamie Spence.
Three hundred spectators looked
on as Spence - who was partnered by
South African Wayne Westner (right) teed of the inaugural ball to celebrate
the club’s official opening.
Impressed by the course, former
Austrian Open winner Westner
commented afterwards: “The layout of
the course is tremendous.
“I love the contrast of high
plateaux and sheltered valleys. With a
little adjustment, Redlibbets would
make an excellent championship
course.”
Redlibbets GC is based between
Fawkham and Longfield in Kent, and
the 6,619 par 72 course was designed by Jonathan Gaunt.

udding Park GC celebrated its
second anniversary with the
opening of a 50-bedroom, fourstar hotel on site.
The 6,871-yard, par-72 course in
Harrogate, designed by Martin Hawtree,
has already established a fine reputation for itself not only with participating golfers but within the industry itself.
The course is the current holder of
the Amazone Golf Environment Award
- presented to the club that does most
to encourage a harmonious relationship between its course and the ecology of the surrounding environment.
Now it is looking to meet the needs
of the human market as it moves into
the world of banqueting and residential
conferences. The proprietors have
invested around £3m in the construction of the three-storey hotel, built of
Ashlar limestone.
Managing director Simon Mackaness explained: “We have long realised that the development of quality
accommodation was the vital next
ingredient in the continuing success of
Rudding Park.
“The hotel is further evidence of our
commitment to make Rudding House
one of the finest conference, banqueting and golf resorts in the North.
“Some have claimed this
picturesque setting is as much a nature
reserve as it is a golf course with the
proliferation of wildlife, meadows,
lakes and woodland.
“The course however, presents a
challenging test of skill for golfers of all
calibres and our facilities include a
comprehensive golf academy and a
variety of teaching programmes.”

Baron announce
new developments
Baron Systems will be announcing some exciting new developments
at Eurogolf’97 next month.
The Leeds-based company will
be adding Windows® compatibility
and Internet access to their existing
golf club management system allowing members to make bookings direct
from either their home or club.
Also, new is the thermal tee time
ticket printer providing a much
quicker production of bag tags.

Ron Noades’ new Happy Valley
Golf Course, at Chaldon, near
Caterham, is rapidly taking shape and
if everything goes to plan it will be
seeded next month (October).
The 6,900 yard par 72 course is
due for completion in September
1998 and the designer and contractor
are pleased with the progress.
Lionel Whitnell of Whitnell
Contractors explained: “I believe the
course will be very high profile, and I
would imagine it will be on TV within
three or four years. He’s even having
telephones on every tee!”
The site was owned by comedian
Jimmy Tarbuck, who is of course
renowned for his golf addiction, but he
sold it to Noades who wasted very little
time in getting things moving.
David Williams Golf Design provided the ideas and Whitnell’s company
moved in at top speed to make
Noades and Williams’ ideas a reality.
Whitnell’s reputation had been
established following a series of
successful course constructions in the
south, including Reigate Hill, Mannings
Heath, and the prestigious Merrist
Wood near Guildford, which has been
selected as the home of the British
Association of Golf Course Architects.
David Williams’ involvement in the
project goes back almost ten years to
when he was part of the original
design team which gained initial planning consent in the early 1990s.
He has been anxiously awaiting the
day when the plans for the course
could be brought to fruition. And now
that time has arrived he is delighted
with what is spreading out in front of
him.

He said: “The site is one of the
best, if not the best, site for an 18-hole
course that I have had the pleasure to
work on in almost 20 years of golf
course design.
“It is a magnificent mature landscape, with two valleys converging at
the northern end of the site.”
Williams’ analysis indicates there is
only really one uphill shot on the
course - a short pitch second shot to
the 350-yard, par four 11th.
“Although the site contains mature
valleys, almost all the holes are played
on the level. There are a number of
downhill shots, particularly off the tee,
where the complete hole is laid out
before the golfer on the tee.

“In particular, the views of the par
five fifth, the short par-four sixth, the
long par-four ninth, the bunkerless
par-four 15th, and the closing par-four
18th will be memorable.”
Water comes into play on just three
holes - the ninth, 12th and 14th coming at a time when, William
claims, the golfer is confident of his
ability and has a reasonable indication
of how well he is striking the ball.
The site is well-drained, located as
it is on chalk, but an additional
comprehensive draining system has
been installed to drain all fairways,
bunkers, tees and greens, to ensure
that water is shed quickly from the
playing surface.

Callaway acquires Odyssey Putters

T

he manufacturer of the most popular putter on the Senior PGA and Ladies
PGA tours has been acquired by Callaway.Odyssey Sports Inc, which manufactures the Odyssey line of putters with Stronomic face inserts, has been
bought by Callaway Golf Company for a cash purchase price of $130m from US
Industries Inc.
The deal - originally announced in July - was completed mid-August, and Ron
Drapeau has been selected as president of newly-formed Odyssey Golf.

12 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

THICK END OF THE WEDGE
Cleveland Golfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1997 order book for its wedges has already exceeded the total
shipments for 1996. Orders taken during a one-week period in June surpassed all
previous sales in the same period. The company is also delighted to hear that the
PGA Tour Darrell survey has shown the Cleveland Sand and Lob wedges have
maintained the number one spot and the margin is increasing over its closest rival.

Six members
join BIGCA

T
AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO ROYAL LIVERPOOL
The R&A has announced that in 2000 the Amateur Championship will return
to Royal Liverpool, the club which hosted the first tournament in 1895.
The following year, 2001, it moves on to Prestwick (above) for the first time in
14 years to celebrate the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 150th anniversary. Other venues to host major
events include Portmarnock, and Royal Troon where the mid-amateur will be
played for the first time on a current Open Championship venue.
The dates for the 1999 Walker Cup match at Nairn Golf Club have been
changed to September 11 and 12 - one week later than originally announced.
The alteration came after discussions between the R&A, the USGA, and the
Home Unions to avoid clashing with a major cricket final and to guarantee live
coverage on the BBC.

he British Institute of Golf
Course Architects (BIGCA)
recently announced that it has
invited six new associates to join its
membership.
Among the new members invited
to join are Paddy Merrigan from
Ireland, Thomas Himmel from
Germany and three Englishmen;
Jonathan Gaunt, Steven McFarlane
and Tom Mackenzie.
At the same time, BIGCA also
invited Nigel Henbury, assistant at
Swan Golf Designs Ltd to join as an
associate.
The institute also confirmed that
president Martin Hawtree is set to
continue in the position for a further
year, with Simon Gidman continuing
to deputise as vice-chairman.
Details of a professional diploma in
golf course design which is believed to
be the first of its kind anywhere in the
world were announced recently at the
institutes AGM held at Wentworth.

Ocmis Irrigation are pleased to be
associated with Whitnell
Contractors Ltd.
Designers and Installers of the
Twin Row Full Fairway Irrigation
System at Happy Valley Golf Club
Ocmis Irrigation
Design, Supply and Installation of
Irrigation Systems throughout
Europe
Tel : +44 1460 241939
Fax: +44 1460 242198
SEPTEMBER 1997

!

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 13

Profile
Profile

DAVID BEGG

Begg’s
KINGDOM

ARTICLE BY
ALISTER MARSHALL
Above: David Begg watches on as
Seve Ballesteros wins the 1984 Open
at St Andrews. Opposite page:
Handling the media at a 1992 press
conference with Nick Faldo and a
rather forlorn Basil Brush!

H

is name, face, and the purpose
why he was there may have
been unfamiliar to the thousands of golf fans who make the
annual pilgrimage to the Open
Championship the highlight of the sporting year.
But in the ordered chaos of the media
centre, where lap top computers spew out
to the four corners of the earth, endless
columns describing all the drama, the joy
and the heartbreak of the greatest major
championship of them all, David Begg has
been as familiar a sight as the grandeur of
the hotel that overlooks the links at
Turnberry and the old stone bridge that
crosses the stream that bisects the 18th
fairway at St Andrews.
For the last 15 years, the tall lean
Scotsman possessing the marvellous ability
to take everything in his stride, has been
the Open Championship’s press officer.
His reign began in 1982 at Royal
Troon, and ended this year at the same
venue when he stepped into retirement.
During his decade-and-a-half in office,
Begg has witnessed such a huge surge in

14 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

interest that the 350 press accreditation
applications that arrived in his Glasgow
office for the 1982 championship increased
to a staggering 1,200 for this year’s championship, with one national paper requesting no less than 16 press tickets!
To fully appreciate his role, one needs
to step inside ‘Begg’s Kingdom’ - the
25,000 square feet of technology that
encompasses the media centre.
It is a mind-boggling experience. As
well as the constantly updated 100-feet
long scoreboard, on-line computers
instantly produce such facts and figures as
the most difficult hole of the round; the
easiest hole; and the number of eagles,
birdies and bogies on each hole as the
round progresses. At the touch of a button
the answers appear on screen and in print.
Over the four days of the championship
Begg and his 10-strong team, along with
the staff of Unysis Computers, will have
produced no less than 250,000 photocopied bulletins ranging from in-depth
player interviews; biographies; weather
forecasts and even a kindly reminder to
those journalists who smoke that although
the centre is not a non-smoking area their

DAVID BEGG

colleagues would probably prefer it if they
enjoyed their habit outside in the sunshine
- or even in the rain!
With the practised art of a conductor of
a great orchestra, Begg was in his element
when guiding a player who has done either
exceptionally well or in some cases exceptionally badly, through his after-round
press conference, where the slightest slip of
a tongue today is guaranteed to make
tomorrow’s headlines.
Watching Begg implacably steer a player through the question-and-answer
session I have often wondered if the press
officer ever felt like dropping his head in
his hands at some of the daftest questions
that emanate from the journalist throng.
“Tell me (Tom, Seve, Mark or Tiger)
just what did you feel like when you took
an eight at the first short hole?” Begg’s
expression never changed, although I
oftened imagined him thinking to himself:
“How the hell do you think he felt you
idiot?”
Ask Begg when his work on the Open
Championship started each year and he
will answer in perfect honesty: “It never
finished from one year to the next.”
“Basically it never does stop. As soon as
one championship finished we had what I
called our post-mortem meeting. A couple
of months or so later we were starting to
consider what media facilities we would
require and where they would be situated
at the following year’s venue,” he said.
“The Open Championship is a massive
undertaking for everyone involved in it.
Each year it gets bigger. As it continues to
grow the more and more organisation it
needs behind it to ensure its continued
growth and success.
“From the media point of view it is a
tribute, not to myself, but to the team I
have had with me over the last 15 years,
that everything has gone so smoothly
despite the very real increased pressure that
is almost brutal in its intensity.
“Yet there is no doubt whatsoever that
I’ve enjoyed it. It has given me unforgettable memories and has created a host of
world-wide lasting friendships.

lege to have been in the position to meet
and hopefully understand just what those
players go through in there quest for a
major championship.
“When I left Royal Troon after this
year’s championship finished, my greatest
regret was that I had received so many
good wishes I was unable to thank everyone personally. It really has been an unforgettable 15 years.”
Begg whose ultra-efficient organisation
of the media was as slick as a well-oiled
machine, could have gone on indefinitely.
It was his decision and his alone to step
down.
“After 15 years, I just felt the time was
opportune. Time is the key word. I was so
heavily involved with the Open Championship that I was at the stage that I didn’t
have time for anything else.
“I needed time for other things, and
time to take up other interesting opportunities, and my business (David Begg
Sports) couldn’t run itself. I’ve enjoyed it
and I’ll miss it but I just feel that 15 years
is long enough in the job.”
Begg has no intention however of sailing away into the sunset of retirement.

Profile
Profile

“The Open
Championship
is a massive
undertaking
for everyone
involved in it.
Each year it
gets bigger”

“There’s absolutely no way I could do
that. Although my role as press officer at
the Open is finished, I have commitments
to the PGA European Tour until the
beginning of next year. I will also cover
Scottish football for BBC radio. Hopefully
I’ll be continuing this pursuit.”
When the time comes round for next
year’s Open Championship at Royal
Birkdale, will he feel a sense of loss at not
being part of it after so many long and
dedicated years?
“Not really. It’s over for me now, but
all those lovely memories remain. In all
probability I’ll be at Birkdale watching the
Championship. It may give me the chance
to thank a few more of the people I missed
at Troon who were kind enough to wish
me well.”

“I’m not saying there hasn’t been the
occasional difficult moment to handle, but
I can say I have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the players.
“There are some players who I have
always had a great deal of time for, who
unfortunately have not always been treated
as fairly as they deserved by the media.
“That is always sad. I believe you’ve got
to know someone to really know them. As
far as I’m concerned it’s been a great priviSEPTEMBER 1997

!

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 15

Development
Development
PGA E
T
C
UROPEAN

OUR

The organisation responsible for PGA tournaments
celebrated its 25th anniversary last season. John
Vinicombe looks at PGA European Tour Courses plc

OURSES PLC

JOHN VINICOMBE
editor

PGA European Tour-

DRIVING INTO THE FUTURE
ne of the fastest
growing developments in the golf
industry is the expansion of
PGA European Tour
Courses plc that began 10
years ago as Tour Properties.
Last season marked the
25th anniversary of the tour
as an organisation purely
responsible for the playing
of tournaments under the
PGA banner.
It has come a long way
since John Jacobs was
appointed the first tournament director general.
And, in 1988, the Volvo
Tour sanctioned by the
PGA European Tour started
with prize money exceeding £10m.
Also that year the PGA European
Properties and Tour developments
companies were created.
The present decade has seen a
steady growth of business from
Wentworth. Five years ago came the
formation of PGA European Tour
Courses (IMG) Ltd. This joint
venture company with International
Management Group saw the first
PGA European Tour Course acquired
at Collingtree Park, Northampton.
Initially when Tour Properties
was formed in 1987, its method of
achieving objectives was to join
landowners in combined ventures to
attaining planning consents for courses adjacent to houses and hotels.
The policy was that hotel and
housing land would be sold to raise
money to pay for the courses and, in
the absence of bank borrowing, there
would be a far greater range of profit.
But the recession at the end of the
1980s drastically reduced the value of

O

Quinta do Lago, Portugal - one of PGA’s tour courses

housing land. Although shareholdings in substantial developments
(Caldas in Spain; Crewe and
Doncaster in the UK,) had been
attained, another way was required to
generate funds to meet course building costs.
This led to the creation in 1992 of
Tour Courses (IMG) as a non-exclusive 50/50 joint venture with IMG.
Tour Courses had the same objectives as Tour Properties but the
method of achieving the goal was
different. It took advantage of the
recession by offering banks who had
lent to now bust Golf Course Developers, the chance of recovering
some of their money. Tour Courses
(IMG) received shareholdings in the
promise of exposure from Tour
events.
In 1993 Tour Courses (IMG)
acquired 50% of Collingtree Park and
Stockley Park and expanded further
the following year by purchasing
50% of Stockholm, the whole of

16 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

Collingtree, half of IMG’s
interest at Nippenburg in
Stuttgart, a marketing
contract for the Links
Portmarnock, and taking
over the Tour’s interests in
Caldas.
At this stage, Tour and IMG
had each invested about
£750,000 in Tour Courses
(IMG) and established the
basis for a business that
could make profit from the
operation of the golf courses.
It followed that Tour and
IMG instructed Tour
Courses (IMG) management
to examine ways and means
of valuing the business and
raising external capital to
finance further expansion.

In 1996, Tour Courses (IMG)
merged with Union Square plc, a
property company, and the Tour and
IMG each invested further sums of
approximately £600,000.
Union Square was renamed PGA
European Tour Courses plc and, at
the same time, this company
purchased Quinta do Lago and Ria
Formosa courses and became fully
listed on the Stock Exchange with a
value of around £42m.
The Tour’s 19.5% shareholding
was valued in the region of £8m
against a total investment of about
£1.5m.
Since Tour Courses floatation, it
has purchased the remaining 50% of
ETC Stockholm and upgraded the
back nine of the South Course in
readiness for next year’s Volvo
Scandinavian Masters; purchased a
further 25% of Stockley Park and
acquired a 50% shareholding in
Ibergolfe SA, a Portuguese company
managing three courses in that coun-

Development
Development
T
C

PGA EUROPEAN

try, and undertaken further course
improvements at Nippenburg, Collingtree and acquired Tytherington
Golf and Leisure Club in Macclesfield.
Further proof of PGA European
Tour Courses robust health is that
the company has entered into an
agreement with The Bedford Estates
and bought a 50% interest in
Woburn Golf and Country Club Ltd.
Michael Friend, general counsel
for the PGA European Tour executive management, has announced
completion of re-construction work
at the European Tour Club in
Stockholm and that building is
proceeding apace in Barcelona.
Prestigious courses throughout
the UK and Europe are now under
the mantle of Tour Courses. A half
interest in Woburn, which owns and
operates the Duke’s and Duchess’
courses, was acquired for a cash
consideration of up to £5,749,900.
For the year ended December 31,
1996, Woburn reported a profit
before tax of £630,581 and had a net
asset value of £2.3m.
The shares in Woburn were
acquired partly through an acquisi-

OUR

OURSES PLC

tion of existing ordinary shares and European Tour Courses, has resigned
partly through a subscription for new and been succeeded by Richard
ordinary shares.
Thompson.
As European Tour News reported:
The change followed a difference
“The existing ordinary shares have of opinion over policy but in no way
been purchased for £750,230, of is the strength of PGA European
which £650,230 has been paid at Tour Courses weakened.
completion, and the balance of
It remains on track as one of the
£100,000 deferred until April 15,
UK’s most successful and ambitious
1998.
leisure companies and can only
“The balance is only payable if the acquire more assets going into the
company has been unable to obtain a millennium.
commitment by March 31, 1998 that
a major European tournament will be
held at Woburn during that year.”
Lord Swathling, chairman of
Woburn Golf and Country Club
greeted the new partnership
The breath-taking Quinta do Lago Golf Course, Portugal
and said he looked forward to
the magnificent facilities being
extended.
And the Marquess of
Tavistock, president of Woburn, added: “The family has
been looking forward to a
major event returning to
Woburn and we welcome our
new partners’ investment and
management expertise.”
Since then Sean Kelly,
managing director of PGA

From left to right: The five-star Hyatt Regency La Manga hotel set amid the North and South courses; The west-wing of the hotel overlooking the swimming pool; The
Hyatt courtyard including Lorca’s piano bar; Los Lomas apartments situated on the resort has their own swimming facilities.

The La Manga

Experience
Situated in south-east Spain, La Manga is arguably one of the
best sporting complexes in Europe, if not the World. Boasting
three championship standard courses, plus tennis and football,
La Manga is without doubt any golfer’s dream location.
BY

DAVID BOWERS

“I

f I was allowed just one last wish,
it would be to play the South
Course at La Manga.” So said
Lord Deedes, a former Member of
Parliament and editor of The Daily
Telegraph.
It would be fair to assume he is a
fairly cosmopolitan man and as such
has an opinion to be valued.
Golf is the reason the La Manga
Club Resort was originally built, and
the resort has a heritage that suits.
The South Course, modified in 1992
by Arnold Palmer, has been the venue
for a series of Spanish Opens and
other PGA and celebrity events.
Palmer won the title himself, at the
1975 La Manga Spanish Open, by
shooting an eagle at the par-five 18th
in dramatic fashion - an achievement
that is marked by a plaque on the
18th tee.

18 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

La
La Manga
Manga Club
Club

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

The course is even in the Guinness
Book of World Records after Otto
Bucher became the oldest man - at 99
years and 244 days - ever to hit a holein-one. He performed the enviable feat
at the par-three, 110-metre 12th,
where a plaque recording the feat can
be seen by the golfer on the tee.
The resort features three courses South, West and North - and is set
amid rolling hills and lush greenery,
providing luxury and relaxation in addition to challenging golf.
Often cited as the finest leisure
facility in Europe, the accommodation
at La Manga is also second-to-none,
with the magnificent five-star Hyatt
Regency La Manga the centrepiece.
Its 192 bedrooms and superb
restaurants fully reflect its pre-eminent
status, matched by a level of dignified
and unparalleled service. The service is
what really sets the hotel apart, and
makes it the perfect choice for golfers
who not only want to play top-quality
courses, but want to relax in privileged
surroundings.
The resort provides an ideal venue
for clubs and societies to hold annual
events, or simply to visit for a break. It
is a popular venue for corporate tournaments and is often the short-break
destination for many of the continent’s
top football clubs.
The region enjoys a superb
Mediterranean climate with over 320
days of sunshine a year.
The West Course - previously
known as La Princesa - has recently
undergone a remodelling programme
to make the course more forgiving
than in previous years.
Many parts of the course have an
American-style layout and there are a
number of ‘barrancas’ cutting through
the course as it swings down a valley.
The need for accurate driving is paramount, and smaller, undulating greens
create quite different tests for the
golfer than either the North or South
Courses.
The recent work on the course has
taken place on the back nine holes in
particular. The fairways and semirough have been replanted with a
highly acclaimed variety of Bermuda
grass, and some of the bunkers have
been removed or repositioned to make
the course more strategically sound.
All three of La Manga Club
Resort’s courses are situated within
close proximity of the clubhouse, and
with the West Course now fully opera-

tional, the resort offers golfers a
diverse and truly unique golfing experience.
The resort’s managing director
Tony Coles first visited in 1986, and
he was a devotee before he became
involved with the resort’s management
team.
He said: “I believe La Manga Club
Resort is the greatest sports and
leisure resort in Europe. No other
venue can match the three diverse 18hole championship golf courses - but
there is so much more to enjoy here.
“People come down to La Manga
Resort with many different objectives some will opt for the sport, while
others may sit in the sand an soak up
the sunshine. Whichever activities are
preferred, everyone comes here to
relax and enjoy themselves, however
old or young, whatever the time of day
or night.”
He added: “La Manga Club Resort
does not follow the crowd - we take
the initiative. And that is why our
resort is unique.
“We pride ourselves on exceeding
customer expectations and that is why
people keep coming back again and
again.”
To describe La Manga Club Resort
as an unrivaled sports and leisure
haven is not stretching a point too far.
It radiates a glorious sense of both
energy and tranquillity.
When a resort’s staff and guests
are genuinely contented with their
surroundings, it tends to generate a
great sense of cordiality.
At La Manga there is a culture and
a way of life that acts as a magnet when people are there they do not
want to leave, but if they do chances
are they will return time and time
again.

Invitation
Even before the 126th Open Championship at Royal Troon had started,
Christina Hayllar, the general manager of Blackmoor Golf Club in Hampshire,
was looking forward with eager anticipation to the 127th.

B

lackmoor is one of
three new courses
designated by the
R&A as regional
qualifying venues for
the 1998 Open at
Royal Birkdale.
Hosting a regional qualifier is
nothing new to Hampshire. For the
last six years the 18-hole test of nerve
and skill for club professionals, top
amateurs and overseas visitors has
been staged with tremendous success
at the North Hants club near Fleet,
who were every bit as surprised at
losing the prestigious event as
Blackmoor were to gain it.
For both clubs the R&A’s decision came like a bolt out of the blue.
North Hants secretary Roy Goodliffe, was somewhat aggrieved, and
not surprisingly so, when the first
indication he had that the qualifier
had gone elsewhere was when he read
a press release in a national newspaper, while the arrival of a letter from
the R&A to Blackmoor advising
them that they had been selected as
one of the 1998 venues was every bit
as surprising to the club.
“We have really no idea why we
were selected in place of North
Hants, but obviously we are delighted,” said Christina.
One of the new breed of golf club
general managers, the Open qualifier
will present the Blackmoor official
with her first major challenge since
her appointment just over a year ago.
It is a challenge she will relish
with the same enthusiasm she has
shown throughout her golfing career.

“

I believe
I can
speak with
some
authority
on matters
relating to
the game

”

Christina Hayllar,
general manager of
Blackmoor Golf Club

The position and the requirements
asked of a golf club secretary have
changed dramatically over the last
decade.
For years the position appeared to
be the exclusive preserve of retired
military men who brought to their
new careers the professionalism and
expertise associated with long service
to the crown.
Their task in the main was what
their title said it was - golf club secretary - the man responsible for all
aspects of the game of golf in their
respective clubs.

20 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

As the game approaches the new
millennium, the duties of secretary/
manager are far removed from what
they used to be.
With so many of the clubs developing their facilities towards the
concept of America’s golf and country clubs, by building bigger and
better clubhouses, restaurants with
exceptional standards of food, and
off-course amenities to meet the most
discerning of their members, the
duties of the secretary who has overall
responsibility for every aspect of the
club’s activities has assumed an

Open
Open Qualifying
Qualifying

THE 127TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

importance far beyond the realms of
those who occupied the positions 20
years ago.
Christina Hayllar at Blackmoor is
not by any means the only woman in
such a position of authority, but at
the age of 32 she is still one of the
youngest to be entrusted with the
smooth day-to-day organisation of a
premier club with a membership
of just under 700 and a
waiting list stretching
into the unforeseeable future.
She could not
have presented a
better cv when
she applied for
the post when it
became vacant
last year.
She joined
Blackmoor as a
junior member in
1976. Seven years
later at the age of 18 she
won the first of her two
Hampshire Ladies’ County Golf
Association Championship titles.
Shortly after winning her second
county title in 1988, she turned
professional, playing for four years on
the fledgling WPGA European Tour.
Then to prepare herself for a
career in golf management she took a
degree in sports science and administration.
“It is a responsibility I thoroughly enjoy,” she said. “It has
been made considerably easier
because of my background.
Having joined Blackmoor as a
junior member I know everyone.
This is a tremendous benefit in my
relationship with all the club officials and members.
“My career as a player has also
been a great benefit. As a former
county champion and touring professional, I believe I can speak with
some authority on matters relating to
the game.
“It must be difficult for a club
secretary or club manager, call it what
you will, to get involved in what can
be heated discussions on aspects of
course management without the
experience of having played the game
at a reasonably high standard.”
Christina has no doubt whatsoever that everything that can be done
will be done to the complete satisfaction of the R&A to ensure that

Blackmoor is a worthy successor to
North Hants as an Open Championship regional qualifying location.
“We appreciate the importance of
the qualifier, but it’s not as if we at
Blackmoor are bracing ourselves for a
tournament of this stature without
prior experience of staging prestigious events.
“The Selborne Salver, that
starts the amateur season
attracting many of
England’s top players, has been successfully staged at
the course in
mid-April for
the last 21 years,
in additional to
a succession of
leading county
events.
“Next year we are
fortunate in having
a rehearsal for the
qualifying tournament by
staging the Hampshire, Isle of
Wight and Channel Islands’ Golf
Union Championship the previous
month.
“There is a lot to consider. We
will have to take a close look at carparking arrangements and public
catering. Those may not seem vitally
important issues, but they can make a
tremendous difference to the enjoyment of the occasion.”

Of the three new clubs listed as
regional qualifying venues, Blackmoor and Stockport are both lush,
parkland courses.
County Louth, chosen as the first
Irish club to hold one of the regional
tests, is a different kettle of fish altogether.
It is quite a few years since I visited this gem of a seaside links near
Drogheda, yet I can still recall its
sudden and dramatic appearance at
the end of a winding road that
reminded me of the first time I drove
the Big Sur, and there, totally unexpectedly was my first breathtaking
glimpse of the great Pebble Beach.
Being given the status of a Open
Championship qualifying venue is a
long overdue recognition of a course,
full of variety and contrast with
magnificent views, whose rating in
Irish golf has never been so high as I
believe it should have been.
A traditional links course of
humps, hollows and intimidating
dunes, although comparatively
unknown in Britain, County Louth is
steeped in Irish golf history.
Club member Clarrie Tiernan was
the first Irish woman to play in the
Curtis Cup, and it was also over
County Louth’s impressive links
where that great Irishman, Harry
Bradshaw, who was beaten in a playoff by Bobby Locke in the 1949
Open at Royal St George’s, and who
along with Christy O’Connor won
the World Cup for Ireland in Mexico
City in 1958, lifted the Irish
Professional Championship in 1947.
Blackmoor, Stockport and County
Louth. What drama will enfold at
those locations come the first week
of July 1998?

The course at Blackmoor

SEPTEMBER 1997

!

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 21

QUALITY COURSE
SIGNAGE

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sand-etched timber signs

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22 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

Club
Club Insight
Insight

KOSAIDO OLD THORNS

Described as ‘The Perfect Setting’
Old Thorns is situated in 400 acres
of stunning parkland countryside.
Originally owned by electrical
entrepreneur Ken Wood, the club is
now part of the Kosaido publishing
and printing corporation.
ARTICLE BY
ALISTER MARSHALL

Old
Thorns

K

en Wood, chairman of
electrical manufacturers,
Kenwood Industries, had
more than just a dream he
wanted to fulfil. He had a
burning ambition to build a golf
course of championship quality on
his own land in the depths of rural
Hampshire.
Almost 20 years on, Old Thorns
Golf Course, Hotel and Restaurants,
situated at Longmoor Road,
Liphook, combine to provide a
complex for golf, leisure and corporate facilities for the 21st century.
Now part of the giant Kosaido
publishing and printing conglomerate whose interest in acquiring
golf courses stretches from
Hawaii, across the United
States, to the United Kingdom
and Continental Europe, Old
Thorns is one of the jewels in
the Tokyo-based company’s
crown.
It was one of the first golf
courses in England
to be Japaneseowned, but as Old
Thorns has developed through the years it has become
more, much more, than Ken Wood
in even his wildest dreams must ever
have imagined.
Set in 400 acres of glorious countryside with the course enhanced by
the profusion of oaks, beeches, pines
and water features fed from natural
springs, the complex has grown to

incorporate a luxury hotel, leisure
club including a swimming pool,
fitness centre, sauna, solarium and
tennis courts, while both a European
and Japanese restaurant serves food
of such outstanding quality that both
establishments have been awarded
not one, but two of the coveted AA
red rosettes for excellence.
“For a comparatively new course,
it’s an absolute gem.” That is not a
quote from a glibly written publicity
handout.
It was in fact a remark made to
me by each of four players of world
renown - no less than former Open
Champions, Seve Ballesteros, Jack
Nicklaus, Bill Rogers and Japanese
ace Isao Aoki who officially
opened the course in an
enthralling skins game in June
1982, the month before Rogers
defended his Open title at Royal
Troon.
The 6,533-yard, par 72 championship course winds its way
through parkland,
over lakes and
streams, with several of the holes cut
through
pine
woods and heather
slopes. As it matured it has become
one of the best to be found within a
leisure complex in the south of
England.
The last few years has witnessed a
definite change in the clientele of Old
Thorns. ➧

SEPTEMBER 1997

!

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 23

Club
Club Insight
Insight
K
O
OSAIDO

LD

THORNS

Not surprisingly, being one of the
first Japanese-owned courses in
Britain, a large percentage of players
who initially enjoyed its superb facilities were Japanese.
This is no longer the case.
Marketing forces dictated that to
assure a profitable enterprise, Old
Thorns would require to become as
well known to corporate business in
Britain as to the Japanese golfer.
Success in this capacity was
assured by the strides made in attracting business conferences and corporate golf days.
Gary Jones, the general manager
of Old Thorns, has no doubt whatsoever where present and future priorities lie.
“Of course it’s always gratifying to
be told so often about the excellence
of the course, but we can’t run a business of this scale by depending entirely upon what numbers we attract to
Old Thorns throughout the period of
the golf season.
“In Britain you are talking about a
season that usually starts at the beginning of April. So long as the weather
remains kind it can continue until the
beginning of October.
“That’s only seven months. We
have to be equally profitable for the
remaining five months of the year
when golf during balmy summer days
becomes only a distant memory.
“Consequently it is imperative we
provide the kind of facilities people
want all the way through the year.
“Our leisure centre; hotel with its
various short break schemes; function
rooms for various private parties for
weddings and anniversaries; and

comprehensive conference facilities
for up to 80 delegates, ensures a fully
operational business concern throughout the entire year,” he said.
The management of Old Thorns
can be compared in many ways to the
captain and officers of a luxury cruise
liner.
To ensure the ship sails through
untroubled waters it requires the
navigation department, the engineroom, the hotel and restaurant, and
social amenities provided, to work in
tandem to the complete satisfaction
of the passengers.
Old Thorns is no different as far
as its clients are concerned whether
they be golfers, diners, hotel guests or
conference delegates.
It has its championship course,
hotel, restaurants, leisure and conference facilities. All must compliment
each other, not as the general manager said for seven months only, but for
each day of a full year to guarantee
profitability to the parent company.
In a comparatively short space of
time the complex has exceeded all
expectations, particularly at a period
when the proliferation of new clubs

“

with similar facilities has induced
fierce competition in the market
place.
This is why there is no question of
Old Thorns resting on its laurels.
If the conference facilities could be
doubled in size, it does not need a
mathematical genius to work out that
the profit from this aspect of the
operation would double accordingly.
However this would also mean a
considerable enlargement to the hotel
accommodation.
“We are constantly looking at
ways to market ourselves. We cannot
sit back and say: “Look what we have
here, and look at what we have
achieved.’

we can’t run a business of this scale by depending entirely

upon what numbers we attract to Old Thorns throughout

24 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

the period of the golf season

Club
Club Insight
Insight

KOSAIDO OLD THORNS

“Instead we have to say: ‘Can we
do this or that to attract more clients
whether they be golfers, diners,
conference delegates, or people
simply wanting a peaceful weekend in
magnificent tranquil surroundings?’”

There is no doubt whatsoever that
Old Thorns is determined to keep
ahead of the ever-growing size of the
chasing pack.

The Corporate Element

A

lways keen to find new and attractive
ways to market themselves, Old
Thorns management have produced a
blueprint for taking over the entire organisation
of Corporate Golf Days.
The scheme, designed to give companies and
their clients a complete package will come into
operation next season. There is no doubt the
operative word is ‘complete’ starting with the
basic requirement of sending out invitation
cards and travel directions.
On arrival, players will be met by one of
Old Thorns professionals, who will be on hand
to either help with or run the all important
guest registration and induction process ensuring all attendees know exactly what’s happening and where.
A club professional will also assist with starting, scoring
and giving rulings where necessary. For players who do not
wish to have a full 27-hole day, special golf clinics supervised
by trained PGA staff will be available.
Each competitor will receive an Old Thorns starter pack
during registration which includes a detailed course planner,
score card, pencil, tees, ball marker and three golf balls.

Following a buffet breakfast, golf starts with a
nine-hole competition, followed by an 18-hole
tournament after lunch.
On completion of the afternoon round, players
will be greeted off the course with a complimentary drink, followed by the prize-giving
banquet.
After the event, group photographs taken at the
first tee, mounted in specially printed folders
will be supplied to be despatched to all those
attending.
General manager Gary Jones said: “It is an
extremely comprehensive package. We have
given a great deal of thought to it.
“A corporate golf day is a big event for a
company. Unless it is properly organised it is all too easy for
things to go badly wrong. Successful corporate golf days are
all about attention to detail. This entirely new concept of golf
day organisation takes all the stress away from the promoting
company.
“We call it our Premier Service golf day. We are confident it will be appreciated and will become increasingly
popular.”

his yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ryder Cup between Europe and America
will be historic in more ways than one. Severiano
Ballesteros will become the first continental ever to
captain the European team since Samuel Ryder
instigated the famous team competition 70 years ago when
he leads his side out this month.
More importantly though, it will be the first contest
between the two teams, this side of the Atlantic, to be
staged outside of Britain.
The Ryder Cup has only once ever been staged outside
England when it headed north to Scotland in 1973 to
take place on the links of Muirfield.
But that is exactly what is happening this month
when the two sides head for the south of
Spain to contest the 32nd Ryder Cup at
Valderrama.
No one will be prouder than Ballesteros
when he captains his side on home soil,
an honour richly deserved for the heroic
feats he has performed over the last 15 years
which has resulted in four European victories in the last
seven matches.
But aficionados of the game will watching closely to see
how the Ryder Cup is received on foreign shores and if
there is a future for playing the competition around different courses in Europe and not just England.
It has already been decided that the 2001 Ryder Cup is
once again destined for The Belfry and the Brabazon
course, scene of those now legendary triumphs in 1985 and
1989, when the next contest is staged on home soil again at
the start of next century. â&#x17E;§

VALDERRAMA
The beginning of a new Ryder Cup era?
SEPTEMBER 1997

!

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 27

Ryder
Ryder Cup
Cup

VALDERRAMA

But there is a strong argument
growing for competition organisers to then diversify and use the
wealth of championship courses
which are now dotted around
Europe.
The European Tour has grown
to such an extent over the last
ten years that it now stages
events at such far flung places as
Dubai and, while that may well
be a somewhat fanciful suggestion, the idea of staging the
contest closer to home in Ireland
is looking a distinct possibility.
The 2005 Ryder Cup is still eight
years away but bids are already
being prepared with the ‘K’ Club,
the venue for last month’s
European Open, Mount Juliet
and Druids Glen heading the
early list of favourites.
“We make no bones about it,”
said Paul Crowe, director of
golf at the ‘K’ Club which is
situated 18 miles outside
Dublin at Straffan.
“The Ryder Cup is part of the
reason why our club was built.
It was a key fact when the decision was taken to build the
course in 1991.”
The club has successfully staged the
European Open for the last three years
attracting all the top players in Europe in
the process and, with the course 7,159
yards long, Crowe believes it is more than
a match for the world’s top golfers.
He said: “The layout of the course is
superb and that is probably its biggest
attribute. Of the 18 holes, 14 of them
contain water hazards and, just when
players think they are safe, they
encounter a new problem.”
There is a growing section
among the players themselves who believe the
Ryder Cup should be
staged in a country other
than England including Scot
Colin Montgomerie, the leading
money in Europe for the last four years.
He said: “It was a surprise to all when
it was announced that the 2001 match
would take place at The Belfry again.
Although it is the headquarters of the
PGA, I thought we would have been
thinking about Ireland or Scotland.
“The year 2005 is eight years hence and
it’s a shame it has to take so long to get it.”
Crowe is confident that the PGA will
take the decision to head away from
Britain to foreign shores for the 2005
28 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

contest whether it be to his country and
club or to another venue.
With the help of private backing,
improved resources and the increasing
influence of the Irish government, Ireland
seemingly has everything in place to
produce the ideal bid. Six years ago
though, he didn’t think it would have been
possible.
He said: “It wouldn’t have been possible to stage the event then because we and
other countries just didn’t have the
resources.
“But with the rise of stars such as Seve,
Bernhard Langer, Italian Costantino Rocca
and the number of players that Scandinavia
has produced over the last few years, there
has been a massive improvement in the
amount of private backing that was badly
needed.
“In Ireland, our bid has been greatly
helped by the government who have set up
a special Ryder Cup committee to discuss
the situation and who have also, importantly, combined the portfolios of sport
and tourism into one which the Irish
minister Dr. Jim McDaid is in charge of.

“The impact of staging the Ryder Cup
just cannot be underestimated and it’s a
major boost for the government to be
involved.
“To actually have the contest at your
course would make any club. In the two to
three years before the competition, you
have tourists who want to see where it’s
being held, then you have the event itself
and then afterwards people from all over
are desperate to play the Ryder Cup
course.”

“

The impact of

staging the Ryder
Cup just cannot be

”

underestimated

VALDERRAMA

To bring the contest to Ireland as
soon as possible is the priority of
Crowe but eventually he would like
to see a system set up which would
see the competition rotate around the
best courses in the British Isles and
Europe.
“The main concern of everybody
in Ireland is to get the competition
but it would be great in the long
term if the PGA would start a system
which would see a circle of courses be
used in different countries such as
Sweden and France.
“Scotland has more than a claim
to staging the event than the Irish
while the Swedish golf market is just
fanatical. The enthusiasm when I go
over there never ceases to amaze me
while there are also some very good
courses in France.”
Crowe will be among the many
interested spectators at Valderrama
assessing how well the Ryder Cup
has traveled.
But he believes that, amid all the
clamouring to take the contest
further-a-field, the PGA must also
show a restraint and not forget the
roots which has made the Ryder Cup
the great contest which it is today.

He said: “The real body of the
Ryder Cup is that in Europe and
especially the United Kingdom, we
have a very, very indigenous following who are fanatical.
“The percentage of Spaniards
following the contest is very small
and virtually all the atmosphere will
be provided by the thousands of
British traveling over.
“It will be strange going over
there without all the local hype that
has surrounded the event over the
last ten years.
“What should happen is that we
should stick with the British Isles
quite a lot as England, Scotland and
Ireland should have a stronger claim
than anybody.”
The 1997 Ryder Cup is sure to
break new ground and have a considerable bearing on decisions in the
future.
But it is to be hoped that, whatever is decided in a competition which
now has an ever-changing face, the
essence of the contest which has
made it such a focal part of the golfing calendar is not forgotten.

Ryder
Ryder Cup
Cup

Opposite page (top):
Assorted views of the
Valderrama course, which of
course stages this years Ryder
Cup competition between the
United States and Europe.
Opposite page (middle):
The ‘K’ Club - a possible future
Ryder Cup venue?
Above: The last course to stage
the Ryder Cup outside England Muirfield, Scotland 1973.

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From the specialists in sports publishing, and the former
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One of the biggest innovations at
golf courses over the last 30 years has
been computerisation. It can be
applied to an enormous amount of
tasks from drainage to accounting
and Evesham-based Fairway Systems
are taking it a step further.
The company claims that its software will increase net income at a
course - and that is enough to make
any administrator sit up and
listen.
Managing director
Gordon Bunker said:
“Golf in the commercial world is a tough
business these days.
There has been a
massive increase in
supply in the commercial market over
the last five years.
“We have found that
managers sometimes just feel
like circus clowns walking down the
street whilst trying to juggle all the
variables. Our systems let them
control and manage their operations
to help them to maximise all their
revenue opportunities.”
Among the company’s many software packages are a pro-shop management system; a reservation and
booking system; accounting and electronic voice-mail; tournament management and a registration and
marketing system.
It also specialises in tee time
management and is the leading
supplier of player-activated tee time
reservation systems.
This system bolsters income by
effectively controlling no-shows, by
automatically pairing golfers and by
allowing golfers to select from all
courses under common ownership.
Increasingly, it is the accountants
who make decisions - and they want
figures. Some make frightening reading. Recent surveys have indicated
that the majority of calls about tee
time availability into the pro shop around 72 per cent - do not result in
a booking for a tee time.

Only 13 per cent of such calls
result in a booking. That adds up to a
startling waste of staff’s time and
company resources.
The Fairway Systems tee time
reservation system allows golfers to
reserve, modify or cancel tee times in
less than 30 seconds and has been
installed on 300 courses in the US
with the UK starting to follow suit.
In the last 12 months alone, a
staggering 14,000,000
rounds of golf were
booked through Fairway Systems booking
systems.
“This year we launched the Fairway Golf
Course Executive Information System which
enables the golfer to
make reservations in seven
different ways - through the
pro shop, reservation agent, hotel
desk reception or guest services, tour
operator or travel agent, Internet,
interactive voice recognition, and
tourist information centres.”
Bunker continued: “Our most
recent installation for the Old Head
Golf Links in Kinsale, Ireland, is a
great example of why our system is
the market leader.
“As a resort course they receive a
large number of group reservation
enquiries, but still have to manage the
operation and cope with numerous
daily enquiries for play in the immediate future - all the while maintaining an exceptionally high standard of
service to their guests.
“No other system was capable of
meeting their demanding needs.”
Fairway Systems does not just
supply software - the company works
with the golf club.
“We are very confident about our
systems’ ability to increase net
income. Over 80 per cent of our
installations are done with us investing in the club.
“We install all the hardware, software and training, without asking for

any money in
advance. We
then generate
our revenue
based on the
number of reservations made.
That way it reduces the capital outlay
for the club and it means the system
pays for itself in line with the periods
when the club is generating revenue.
“This unique approach, along
with our commitment to continuous
re-investment in our products has
established Fairway Systems as world
leaders in the resort, daily fees and
municipal golf market place.”
No money up-front, and payment
when the club is generating revenue it’s enough to make even an accountant smile.

Fairway Systems (Europe) Ltd
PO Box 2000, Evesham, WR11 4YL
Tel: +44 (0)1386 871490
Email: info@fairway.co.uk
Fairway Systems web site goes live
on September 15. And it offers golf
clubs a valuable service as Gordon
Bunker explained.
“It has been set up in conjunction
with Microsoft and is a virtual golf
club giving links to varied information. It is complete with the
Visa/Mastercard secure electronic
transaction system to give piece of
mind to the golfer.
“For the initial period, golf clubs
will be able to advertise and sell their
tee times at no charge on our web
site.”
This innovative approach to
marketing is further evidence of
Fairway Systems’ commitment to golf
clubs and the golfer.
The Fairway Systems web site can
be found at www.fairway.com

SEPTEMBER 1997

!

GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE 31

Analysis
Analysis

Chairman of Golfconsult International, Bryan Griffiths is a
leading industry voice and respected figure within the
golf environment

BRYAN GRIFFITHS

Golf’s

Dilemma...

T

he multi-billion pound British golf industry is as
large as that of the rest of Europe’s put together.
Increasingly, it is changing to resemble the property industry as more golf businesses change
hands. Operators are becoming what might be
called ‘serial developers’, some of which now raise their
capital on the Stock Market for further purchases.
In many respects, the industry is in rude good health and with prudence is a good place for well-managed
investment. But there are some thorns in this rosy picture,
of which professional advisers should take serious note.
This is a prosperous industry, but it has hardly been
subjected to any serious commercial, professional or academic critical scrutiny.
VULNERABLE
No ‘golf developers’ guide exists and first time inexperienced developers (and their backers) are obviously vulnerable to the serious errors made repeatedly in each succeeding golf boom - far too many as noted below have had
their fingers burnt quite unnecessarily.
The golf industry service sector must carry some of the
blame for this situation. It is small, fragmented and very
largely amateur in its approach.
A serious flaw is the lack of an independent body
devoted to responsibility for promoting the prosperity of
the game, and for the structured growth of its facilities by

“

Estimates of would-be golfers vary widely; one example, up to 45% ‘wanting to try golf’ by Golf Research
Group (GRG). These figures are hard to believe! Just 5%
would equate to the 3 million or so active golfers: but
there is little doubt golf wannabees represent a long term
latent demand of substantial proportions.
This situation comes on top of the unprecedented
spurt in the growth of new golf courses - ominously mostly 18 holes which those beginners can hardly play.
Between 1990 and 1995, following a Royal & Ancient
Golf Club 1989 report, some 520 (an additional 20%)
opened; but no less than three out of four are reported by
GRG to be in financial difficulties.
Commentary on these trends has been rather superficial so far: the practical answers to the questions about
how and why remain unanswered.

The golf industry service sector must carry some of the

blame for this situation. It is small, fragmented and very
largely amateur in its approach

way of unbiased and expert advice. Here is the root cause
of much disenchantment with investment in golf facilities
- an entirely avoidable calamity if the industry could only
put its own house in proper order.
VESTED INTERESTS
The vested interests of the establishment bodies is a major
obstacle in this: but it would be naive to hope a solution
could be quickly found. The background to this reflection
on the broad state of the industry began with a serious
‘health warning’ at the Eurogolf ’96 trade show.
This was sparked off by Sports Marketing Surveys’
(SMS) findings of a steep decline in the number of new
players - down 50% in five years. This in turn led to the
launch of two new national events aimed at stimulating
interest in playing the game - the National Golf Week and
the KPMG Golf Show.
32 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

”

To put these trends into perspective, a distinction
should be made. A static customer base and decline in
entrants to the game affects all 2,500 golf facilities to a
greater or lesser extent: the well established are hardly
troubled and some prosper very well.
The financial problems affect just 16% of the facilities,
the newly-opened courses with marginal profitability and
burdened with debt they can hardly service let alone
amortise.
The R&A report had a wide-spread impact. It had estimated that 700 new courses were needed by the year
2,000 - a 3% increase in supply. The R&A imprimatur no
doubt helped fuel the subsequent boom along with EU
set-aside availability for agricultural land, easy money,
sloppy thinking and the urge to climb aboard the bandwagon.

BRYAN GRIFFITHS

Some developers were encouraged to overspend wildly, far above the level the British golf market could bear not least on unviable, big name complexes, the demise of
which gave journalists a field day.
Nevertheless, the underlying strengths of the game and
its industry are indisputable. While a few chickens were
coming home to roost as banks set about recovering their
debt, golf merchandising hit a peak of £90 million in the
early 1990’s.
The supply side is now probably in for a period of
stability since, not suprisingly, a drop of 45% in new
courses occurred from 1994 to 1995. A similar decline
also happened between 1980 and 1987 in the aftermath of
the mid-1070’s boom. The lessons have hardly changed
but few pay much notice.
APPRAISAL
Meticulous appraisal (not the widespread conventional
wisdom of the ‘design-led’ approach) would quickly and
cost effectively have identified many of those 1990s
projects as not viable, and which should either not have
been built in the first place, or in some different, more
market compatible form.
It appears to be an accident of the golf industry’s
recent history, that no dedicated establishment body exists
solely to promote and nurture the growth and prosperity
of the game. So just a few months ago, millions are now
identified who wish to play and cannot - with all the hallmarks of a sudden surprise.
The independent researchers have done the industry a
big favour by pin-pointing the supply side weakness
which this multi-million billion golf industry seems illequipped to handle.
An oversupply of 18 hole courses in a falling demand
market is little or no help to beginners. Beginner-friendly
facilities are essential for steady, long-term growth and are
long overdue in many parts of Britain.
The lack of critical scrutiny mentioned has been rectified in part, by an unprecedented milestone study
produced by the Henley Centre.
The survey, which outlines the prospects for the golf
industry over the next ten years, promises to be the most
comprehensive analysis ever, providing the clearest possible insight into the future dynamics of the UK golf
market.
As the publishers promises ‘many dramatic conclusions’, no doubt some of the issues raised here will also be
addressed.

Analysis
Analysis

Bryan Griffiths (left) with environmentalist David Stubbs on location
in Andalucia, Spain

Comprehensive ‘Golf Academies’ with indoor/outdoor
elements have promising commercial potential: but as yet
are untried in Europe. The format takes barely a third of
the land for 18 holes, costs less and has a much higher
customer capacity for golfers of all ages and skills.
The ultimate economic format is a six-point profitcentre ‘Pay-as-you-play’ operation which would be a
sound investment in an urban or semi-urban situation.
One owner of an ailing Asian 18 hole championship
golf course is so smitten with the turn-around prospects
that he even proposes to convert his back nine holes into
such an Academy.
Similar action might well rescue some of the financially
unsuccessful courses here and provide new comprehensive
beginner-friendly facilities for the large latent market. It
could well be a way for banks to rescue and nurse the
failed projects rather than be landed with forced receiver
sales.
The number of courses on the market for sale is
increasing with the result that sale prices are currently well
below original development costs - but not for long!
It is not too difficult to believe that the industry could
be charged with failing its potential new customers simply
by being unprepared.
It is a big challenge to the golf establishment bodies,
and financiers, to take action to retain potential golfers
who can so easily be lured away to other sports which
have got their act together.
Many potential customers exist; but no purpose built
facilities are available to really welcome and help them join
the active golfing fraternity and enjoy the pleasures of the
Royal & Ancient game.

An Independent Materials Testing Laboratory
for the Golf Course and Sportsturf Industries.

REPLAN’S TOUCH IS WORLD-CLASS
Replan’s high quality club shop
design is evident in their new
fashion-led, high street-style
2,000 sq ft golf shop. Located
within St.David’s Hotels’ new
flagship complex, Carden Park,
Cheshire, the new shop, with
its “Hunting Lodge” theme,
sports a tongue and grooved
oak-panelled interior with
raised-plinth displays.

HANOVIA SOLVES WATER SHORTAGE
Harleyford Golf Club, Buckinghamshire, has overcome a
water shortage problem by
using disinfected recycled effluent for irrigation.The Hanovia
ultraviolet light disinfection
system is compact in design
and easy to maintain. It has
low running costs, is silent in
operation and produces no byproducts of any sort.

! +44 (0)1484 666666

! +44 (0)1753 515300

RANSOMES SELECTED BY TOP CLUB

TORO WINS MARRIOTT DEAL

Linden Hall golf club in Northumberland has over the past
year invested more than
£130,000 in Ransomes and
Cushman turf maintenance
equipment supplied by local
dealer Rickerby of Hexham.
Opened just 18 months ago,
the course which is owned by
the Callers-Pegasus Group, is
set within 450 acres of parkland.

Toro has secured a multi-million
pound partnership agreement
with Marriott Hotels in the UK
as exclusive suppliers of golf
course turfcare machinery and
irrigation systems. The deal
covers all eight Marriott Hotel
and Country Clubs with golf
courses, as well as two others,
where new 18-hole courses are
currently under construction.

! +44 (0)1473 270000

! +44 (0)1480 476971

BLUE SEAL MAKING A COME-BACK

TEEING-OFF A NEW MAT

Due to high demand, Blue Seal
is re-launching the E92 Griddle
which is designed for high
volume continuous cooking.
The E92 Griddle is an allpurpose unit ideally suited for
cooking beefburgers, steaks,
chops, bacon, sausages and
eggs. Features include a 3” high
stainless steel splash guard on
three sides, and adjustable legs.

Links Leisure, manufacturers
of the ‘Pro-Tee’ range of golf
course and sports ground accesories, have launched a new
artificial tee mat, claimed to be
ideal for shorter par three
courses. Measuring just 1.5m x
1.0m, the mat has been
constructed using a durable
grass reinforced cement base
and three artifical sections.

! +44 (0)121 327 5575

! +44 (0)1584 811168

TORO APPOINT AGRONOMY EXPERT

SERVICE CONTRACTS ARE THE KEY

Toro announced recently that it
has teamed up with one of
Europe’s top golf agronomy
consultants, Bruce Jamieson.
Director of agronomy for the
PGA European Tour for 6
years, Mr Jamieson is valued
for his golf course experience
and now operates his own
consultancy, B Jamieson Golf
Advisors in Hampshire.

! +44 (0)1202 209281
34 GOLF MANAGEMENT EUROPE ! SEPTEMBER 1997

Machinery supply agreements
which include regular maintenance as part of the contract are
becoming increasingly popular
in Scotland. Supplied by Ransomes dealer, Scottish Grass
Machinery, Newmachar GC
and Balbirnie Park GC have
both agreed contracts which
includes in-season inspections
and an annual winter service.